RomanPunks is a retrofuturistic, cyberpunk derivative world-building project inspired by fine art, history and the cryptopunk movement.
A total of 1,000 RomanPunk characters have been frozen in time and minted as Non Fungible Tokens (NFTs) on the Ethereum, WAX, Polygon and Algorand blockchains.
RomanPunk characters are comprised of commoners and famous individuals based on Roman history, art history and pop culture.
The basis for RomanPunk lore and backstories is exhaustively researched by history/sci-fi buff and co-founder, Punktavian.
All images are drawn by hand by woman artist and co-founder, Cleopunktra, without the aid of AI or generative tools.
RomanPunks came into existence through early minting on OpenSea, promoting on Twitter and building a Discord community through giveaways and engagement. The idea of a cyberpunk-derivative ‘RomanPunk’ theme was in our heads for years, but it was the success of the Cryptopunks that became the catalyst for project conception and launch.
After a hard working first 60 days spent networking and attracting new collectors to RomanPunks, our community had begun to flourish and sales increased. We began to offer our collectors an opportunity to battle their NFTs in a tournament bracket powered by dice rolls.
Encouraged by the tight knit community and the carbon-neutral blockchain with lightning fast and low cost transactions, we launched 'romanpunksio' collection on WAX Blockchain as the first step to expand the backstories of our RomanPunk characters and the baseline for future development of a card game.
RomanPunks integrated with Chainlink Labs to utilize VRF (Verified Randomness Function) to host a giveaway raffle for our holders. We developed a smart contract on Ethereum which guarantees true random number selection on chain and can be used for a wide range of functions that require random selection.
After much anticipation in the community, we released our first WAX NFT card 'pack' through the Neftyblocks platform, which sold out in less than a week.
We launched our Twitch channel and begun building an audience by offering numerous giveaways of WAX NFTs from our collection, as well as giving participants a chance to win RomanPunk ETH NFT airdrops for taking top spot at the end of the 'season'.
As firm believers in a metaverse future and land owners in The Sandbox, we undertook to build the RomanPunk Colosseum on 1x1 land and entered our experience "Gladiator Bloodsport" into a GameJam contest. We will continue to build the Colosseum into a PVP arena and social hub once The Sandbox offers creators the ability to do so.
Thanks to the user friendly tools offered by NeftyBlocks, we launched a comprehensive blending system on WAX, allowing our collectors to blend the common NFTs they earn in our Discord RPG up into Legendary famous NFTs through the use of blending 'coins' that can also be earned on the Discord as reward for helping to promote the RomanPunks project.
We launched the VX collection on Polygon. Each owner of an ETH NFT gets their voxel equivalent airdropped to them, and these NFTs can be redeemed for official NFTs on The Sandbox Marketplace once available.
All 1,000 original, unique 1:1 RomanPunk characters hand drawn by Cleopunktra and minted on OpenSea.
The RomanPunk WAX NFT Trading Card Fighter Pack Series II consists of 3 NFTs randomly selected from over 236 characters.
Upcoming plans for RomanPunks include:
Below is a comprehensive and searchable directory of all 1,000 RomanPunk Characters.
Born in 217 AD in Caesarea, Mavis, a servant of the Temple of Saturn at Thugga, uttered an experimental incantation, opening an interdimensional portal that transported her to a parallel world set in an atomic age in which she became enslaved as a gladiator.
Born 160 AD in Caralis, Lola lived a charmed life of revelry until the purges of Commodus caused her to escape through an interdimensional portal to the 22nd century AD. Now holed up in the Neo-Aztec Collective, she unabashedly continues her epicurean indulgences in the vaporwave splendor of Floridia.
Born in 266 BC on the coast of the Black Sea, Belinda is an Amazonian warrior who portaled to the women-dominated 28th century AD to battle aliens and cyborgs in a futuristic cybercolosseum.
Born in 181 AD in Osaka, Ojin was a Samurai sent on an intelligence gathering mission to Rome who decided to stay and join the Roman legion in the fight against the rising Vampire and Zombie menace in Dacia.
Born 525 AD in Camulodunum, Lanny is a notorious alcoholic cat burglar who audaciously stole from ex-Roman garrisons. A legend among thieves, known for daring heists and unbreakable streak of luck, Lanny spent all his money buying rounds of drinks for entire villages.
Born in 108 BC in Tarsus, Dex was a formidable pirate who was captured during Sulla’s purges and forced into interdimensional slavery mining titanium on the Jovian moon of Io where he operates a covert methamphetamine trafficking ring.
Born 125 AD in Emerita Augusta, Mads is an ancestor of Ferdinand Magellan and a former slave who, after being released from servitude on a Roman quinquereme, became an interdimensional explorer and the first ancient citizen to visit hedonistic late 20th century AD.
Born in 185 AD in Fife, Osgar was raised to hate the Romans and fought stubbornly against the invasion of Septimius Severus in 208 AD, using future technology obtained from dimension hopping druids to help push the invaders back to Hadrian’s Wall.
Born 200 AD in Tibur, Tullia is a beautiful socialite who longs to travel through time to discover new fashions from the future.
Born in 355 AD on the shores of the Black Sea, Hilda Cixilo was raised in blood by warrior parents who trained them in battles against the Huns. After collecting 80 heads in the Battle of Adrianople, Hilda went on to distinguish herself in Mastaura as an undefeated gladiator.
Born in 105 AD in Rome, Damianus Sanga is second in command of the Lost Cohort, which disappeared on campaign in Caledonia. Sanga and his comrades were whisked to an alternate dimension where they were equipped with hi-tech weapons and armor by sympathetic local tribes seeking new allies.
Born 2145 AD in Luxor-Thebes, Ram is a degenerate carnie who operates the “Daedalus Drop” carnival ride at the midway in the Neo-Carthage souk. This tower—a thrilling descent emulating the mythic fall of Icarus—has become a premier attraction under his management. Unbeknownst to Ram, a conspiracy is unfolding to sabotage his ride; nefarious actors intend to orchestrate a fatal malfunction to assassinate a prominent individual, placing him unwittingly at the heart of a dangerous plot.
Born in 2180 AD in Syracusae, Vittoria is an enigmatic merchant who carved a niche in Neo-Carthage’s “Bizarre Bazaar”, trading in the exotic and macabre: flesh-eating zombie pets. Her passion for reviving the dead began when she discovered an ancient pet cemetery near Dougga while burying her beloved horse. Wealthy and insouciant, Vittoria is known for her sarcastic charm and love of the herb. Though apolitical, she thrives in the chaotic markets of Neo-Carthage, where her eerie wares attract a diverse clientele.
Born 2172 AD in Iuvavum, Elsa is an eccentric toy-maker known for her Pet Gremlins, quirky animatronic creatures that have taken the universe by storm. She runs a toy boutique in the souk of Neo-Carthage, where her creations mock the Roman elite with satirical designs that poke fun at emperors, governors, and high-ranking officials. Each gremlin is a playful, biting critique wrapped in bright colors and mischievous grins, offering customers a chance to own a piece of subversive art disguised as a toy.
Born in 2145 AD on the red planet Mars, Rathien is a hot-tempered, relentless enforcer for cloned Hannibal Barca’s rebellion in Neo-Carthage. Freed from hard space labour, he hides from facial recognition drones while executing sabotage and assassinations against the corrupt governor Mordax Mazar and his cronies. Known for his mercenary tactics and short temper, Rathien’s methods frequently cause problems, but his loyalty and determination make him an indispensable, albeit troublesome, asset to the cause.
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romanpunks@protonmail.ch
Registered in Ontario, Canada
